Surface projectile game apparatus



R. L. LARSEN Dec. 5, 1967 SURFACE PROJECTILE GAME APPARATUS Filed Aug.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,356,370 SURFACE PROJECTILE GAME APPARATUS Ralph L. Larsen, 1822 Colby Ave., Everett, Wash. 98201 Filed Aug. 4, 1964, Ser. No. 387,351 Claims. (Cl. 273--176) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A new yard game and apparatus for playing a rolling ball game. Pivoting wicket members defining elongated tunnel-like paths for the passage of a driven ball are supported by vertical shafts in a manner such that each wicket pivots about a point adjacent one edge of the tunnel-like path. In one embodiment the support shaft is defined by a member driven into the ground so that the tunnel-like wicket pivots about one of its'edges at a selected distance above the ground in a manner such that if the ball hits the edge of the wicket, the wicket pivots to a different position. In another embodiment a fiat plate holds the vertical support shaft so that the apparatus is readily used indoors. The ends of the wickets are preferably numbered to thus establish a sequence for the players to follow in arriving at the finish point of a course defined by a plurality of the pivoting wicket members.

The game of croquet has been known for many years and generally includes a mallet and ball for each player together with a plurality of stationary wickets which are positioned about a yard in a predetermined pattern with the object of the game being for each player to drive his ball through the various wickets in a selected and preestablished sequence. Once the wickets have been located the required path for each players ball remains fixed and the players have no control over the wickets.

It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus for playing a new game which is somewhat similar to croquet but which has a variable course for the balls and which is found to be competitive and interesting even when played on a small playing surface. It is another object of the present invention to provide a yard game which includes pivoting wicket members which are adapted to have a ball driven therethrough by the players of the game with each wicket being so constructed that it is readily swingable to any given position if struck by a ball. A further object of the present invention is to provide pivoting wicket members together with associated supporting bases which can be readilly located at various points on the fioor in a given room to make possible an indoor game analogous to croquet but with the wicket members being pivoted to add interest to the game and to make the game more competitive.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a plurality of pivoting wicket members each adapted to have a ball driven therethrough with the wicket members,

being tunnel-shaped and elongated to thereby require a greater degree of skill on the part of each player in driving his ball therethrough. Another object of the present invention is to provide a plurality of pivoted and swingable elongated wickets each having numbers imprinted on opposite ends thereof for directing the player as to the direction of passage for his ball through the wicket. An additional object of the present invention is to provide a yard game which includes elongated wickets adapted to have a ball driven therethrough and with the wickets being supported for movement in response to impact by a ball.

In accordance with the teachings of the present invention an elongated tunnel-like member, which preferably is a thin walled section of a right cylinder, is supported parallel to the ground or to a floor by means which permits translation of the tunnel-like member in a path which is preferably circular. A ball is then to be driven through the tunnel member, which can be referred to as a pivoting wicket. The arrangement is such that if the ball is not driven through the pivoting wicket without engagement therewith, the wicket will undergo rotation and the players ball will exit from the wicket along a path which generally is not parallel to its initial path of travel prior to such engagement with the wicket. The wickets are preferaby supported for rotation on a vertical supporting shaft which is held in an upright position by means of a fiat base member adapted to be placed on a floor or lawn, or, as illustrated in greater detail hereinafter, by means of driving a supporting shaft into the ground. A spacing member associated with the pivoting wicket and disposed about the vertical supporting shaft serves to hold the pivoting wicket at a preselected and desirable elevation above the ground or other playing surface to permit passage of a ball of selected diameter therethrough. The elongated pivoting wickets may have numbers imprinted on the opposite ends thereof with the object of the game being for the players to take turns, with each player driving his ball through each of the pivoting wickets in numerical sequence. An extra shot is normally given for passing through a wicket. The numbering of the opposite ends of the wickets is preferably such that each ball must pass through each wicket in each of two directions in order for the player to complete the game.

Due to the pivoting action of the wickets when impacted by a ball it is possible for an opponent to drive his ball against a Wicket in a situation wherein a first player is already in a proper position for driving his ball through the wicket on his next turn. Thus the opponent is able to disrupt the first players shot by causing the wicket to be moved to a position of nonalignment with the other players ball. In a preferred embodiment of the invention thewicket members include semicircular tunnel-like members which may be made of any suitable plastic material or lightweight sheet metal formed to a size corresponding to the size of the ball to be used. The game lends itself well to practice by a golferrand therefore the diameter of the semicircular elongated wickets may be made slightly larger than the diameter of a golf ball, the object then being for a golfer to use a putter-for driving a golf ball through each of the pivoting wickets in numerical sequence.

The above as well as additional advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein,

FIGURE l is an orthographic projection illustrating an embodiment of the pivoting wicket of the present invention together with the associated base member for supporting the same for rotation about a floor or the ground and including for purpose of illustration a ball and a club for driving the ball through the wicket;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of another embodiment of the pivoting wicket member provided in accordance with the present invention and corresponding generally to the wicket member illustrated in the orthographic projection of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation of a pivoting wicket provided in accordance with the present invention together with means for positioning the same at a selected elevation above the surface of the ground, a portion of the ground being shown in section;

FIGURE 4 is an orthographic projection of a pivoting wicket and associated support provided in accordance with the present invention and illustrating the same as positioned on a lawn, a portion of the ground being cut away and shown in section to illustrate the manner in which the wicket support shaft is held in position on the lawn, and

FIGURE is an orthographic projection of a plurality of the pivoting wicket members each having numbers painted or imprinted on the opposite ends thereof for guiding and directing each player as to the required direction of passage of his ball through the various wickets.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 there is shown for purpose of illustration a wicket member which is in the general shape of a section of a right cylindrical member and in particular in FIGURE 1 the wicket member 10 is approximately one-half of a right circular thin-walled cylinder or tube. The diameter of the wicket 10 is slightly larger than the diameter of an associated ball 11 adapted to be driven through the wicket by a player using any suitable club such as the one shown for purpose of illustration at 12.

The wicket 10 is adapted for rotation in a path above an associated supporting plate 13 having a small shaftreceiving member 14 secured thereto and having an opening therein for receiving a supporting shaft 15. The shaft 15 passes through the openings 16A and 16B of a supporting bracket 16 which is secured to the top center of the wicket 10 and also along the lower edge of the wicket '10 as indicated at 10A. The wicket 10 as well as bracket 16 may be made of various materials, including any of the various and well known low-cost impact resistant plastic materials with the bracket 16 being formed integral with the wicket or glued thereto. They may also be made of light sheet metal with the bracket 16 being readily soldered to the wicket 10.

The arrangement is such that if the wicket 10 is struck by a ball 11 the wicket 10 will be rotated from its previous position. As a result thereof the ball 11 which may have struck an interior wall of the wicket 10 will not only move the wicket but will result in the ball being deviated from its original trajectory so that it exists from the wicket 10 going in a direction different from its direction of travel prior to such impact. In addition, the wicket 10 is so pivoted that if one player has his ball aligned with the longitudinal opening provided through the wicket 10 and another player wants to disrupt the first players shot then such other player would merely drive his ball against the outer surface of the wicket 10 thereby causing the wicket to be pivoted from its previous position of alignment with the first players ball. In practice a ,number of the wickets 10 and associated supporting devices are positioned about a room with the object being for each player to drive his ball through each of the wickets in a predetermined sequence, as described in detail hereinafter. While various devices can be used for supporting the wicket 10 for rotation about the playing surface along which the balls 11 are driven, the arrangement illustrated in FIGURE 1 is found in practice to be relatively simple to construct and can be made from low-cost components. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 1 the supporting shaft 15 is placed in the shaftreceiving member 14 secured to the plate 13 and then the bracket 16 is slid down over the shaft 15. Any suitable retaining cap such as the cap 17 shown in FIGURE 1 can be placed on the top of the shaft 15. Cap 17 also serves as a protective measure to avoid injury to a player who might fall against the shaft 15.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGURE 2 those elements which correspond in general to the elements of FIGURE 1 bear like reference numbers. The illustration of FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of a pivoting wicket member and associated support means. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 2 a shaft 25 is directly secured to a supporting plate 23 and the shaft-receiving member 14 of FIGURE 1 is replaced by a cylindrical spacing member 18 which is slid down the shaft 25 before the supporting bracket 16 and wicket 10 are positioned on the shaft 25. The member 18 therefore serves as a bearing surface for the wicket and also serves to properly position the wicket 10 above the ball 11. It should be noted that while the pivoting wicket 10 in FIGURES 1 and 2 has been shown as providing a semicircular enclosure for the ball 11, any other suitable elongated enclosure defining a path for the ball could be used. In each case however the wicket defines an elongated path and is supported for rotation above the playing surface.

In the embodiments illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 the game is adapted for being played primarily on a smooth uniform surface such as on the carpet or fioor of a house. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGURE 3 a shaft 35 has a lower pointed end 35A adapted to be driven into the ground. The shaft 35 may include an integrally formed spacing member 35B which is adapted to rest against the surface of the ground and is adapted to properly position the wicket 10 above the ground for passage of the ball therethrough. It will of course be obvious that other arrangements can be used for supporting the wicket 10 for rotation above the surface of the ground. The shaft may also be a straight piece of wire driven into the ground with a separate spacing member such as the member 18 of FIGURE 2 slid over the shaft ahead of the wicket 10 for holding the wicket 10 at a proper elevation above the ground.

In FIGURE 4 a shaft 45 is adapted to be held in a vertical position by means of the shaft-receiving member 40 secured to the pointed member 41 which is driven into the ground. As in the previous embodiments, the wicket 10 is supported at an appropriate position above the ground and is adapted for rotation about the shaft 45.

In FIGURE 5 two of the pivoting wickets 10 and 10' are shown for purpose of illustration with the wicket 10 having the numbers 1 and 3" painted on the opposite ends thereof. In a similar manner the second pivoting wicket 10 has the numbers 2 and "4 on the opposite ends thereof. The object of the game is for a player to drive his ball through each of the plurality of pivoting wickets by entering each numbered end in numerical sequence. In practice a greater number of the pivoting wickets 10 are utilized and are positioned at selected locations about a room or about a yard. Due to the pivoting action of the wickets 10 and their elongated form only a small playing surface is required to provide a highly competitive and interesting game since the required path for the player to complete the game is ever changing, as contrasted to prior art yard games using fixed wickets.

While various embodiments of the invention have been shown in detail in the drawings for teaching the present invention, it is intended that those changes and modifications which will become obvious to those skilled in the art from the teachings hereof will be encompassed by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A wicket for a rolling ball game, comprising: a member having horizontally elongated spaced sides defining a horizontally elongated path for the ball, and means supporting said member for rotary movement in a horizontal plane above the game playing surface about a vertical axis displaced laterally from the center of said path.

2. A wicket in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means includes a shaft adapted to be driven into the ground with a portion thereof extending substantially vertical adjacent said path, and coupling means connected to said member and rotatably supported on said portion of said shaft.

3. A wicket in accordance with claim 2 and including a spacing element disposed about said shaft beneath said coupling means and adapted to maintain said member at a preselected distance above the ground.

4. A wicket in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means comprises: a shaft; means supporting said shaft in a substantially vertical position adjacent one side of said member; and coupling means connected to said member and rotatably supported by said shaft.

5. A pivoting wicket for a rolling ball game, comprising in combination: a base member; a shaft coupled with said base member and extending upwardly therefrom; a horizontally elongated wicket member defining a substantially enclosed horizontally elongated path for the passage of a playing ball therethrough; and means connected to said wicket member and rotatably coupled with said shaft for supporting said wicket member in a plane substantially parallel to and above a horizontal playing surface on which said base member is placed and the position of said shaft being such as to provide a vertical axis of rotation which is adjacent to one side of said Wicket member.

6. A pivoting wicket in accordance with claim 5 Wherein said means includes a spacing element associated with said shaft and adapted to hold said Wicket member at a selected distance above a playing surface.

7. A pivoting wicket in accordance with claim 5 wherein said wicket member is in the shape of a thin walled longitudinal section of a right cylinder.

8. A pivoting wicket in accordance with claim 5 wherein said wicket member defines a substantially semicircular tunnel.

9. A pivoting wicket for use in a rolling ball yard game comprising in combination: a shaft having one end thereof adapted to be driven into the ground with a section of the shaft then extending in a vertical direction from the ground; a wicket support member having an opening therein for rotatably receiving said shaft; a spacing member adopted to be disposed about said shaft between said support member and the ground for maintaining said support member a predetermined distance above the ground; and a horizontally elongated wicket member connected to said support member and defining a substantially enclosed horizontally elongated tunnel for the passage of a ball therethrough, said shaft being external to the tunnel and defining a vertical axis of rotation for the wicket member which is adjacent to one edge of the tunnel, said wicket member being free to rotate above the surface of the ground when impacted bya ball.

10. A recreational game comprising in combination: a ball; a plurality of elongated wickets each defining a horizontally elongated tunnel like path with an opening larger than the diameter of said ball and adapted to have said ball pass therethrough, each of said wickets having its opposite ends imprinted with a number; and support means coupled with said wickets and supporting each for rotation in a plane substantially parallel to a horizontal playing surface on which said ball is adapted to roll and for rotation about a vertical axis which is adjacent one edge of the tunnel-like path.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,715,365 6/1929 Hoffman et al. 273-56 X 3,074,722 1/ 1963 Davenport 273--127 FOREIGN PATENTS 19,851 1906 Great Britain. 658,096 10/1951 Great Britain.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner. F. BARRY SHAY, Examiner. G. J. MARLO, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A WICKET FOR A ROLLING BALL GAME, COMPRISING: A MEMBER HAVING HORIZONTALLY ELONGATED SPACED SIDES DEFINING A HORIZONTALLY ELONGATED PATH FOR THE BALL, AND MEANS SUPPORTING SAID MEMBER FOR ROTARY MOVEMENT IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE ABOVE THE GAME PLAYING SURFACE ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS DISPLACED LATERALLY FROM THE CENTER OF SAID PATH. 